diff --git a/Modules/Wrappers/ApplicationEngine/src/otbWrapperApplicationRegistry.cxx b/Modules/Wrappers/ApplicationEngine/src/otbWrapperApplicationRegistry.cxx
index ffc0f5c5b49a3341a34ddae54331299dc97e7f64..f98f9a3cbc23f49c12fdf576765c52a9a93cbc11 100644
--- a/Modules/Wrappers/ApplicationEngine/src/otbWrapperApplicationRegistry.cxx
+++ b/Modules/Wrappers/ApplicationEngine/src/otbWrapperApplicationRegistry.cxx
@@ -159,8 +159,11 @@ ApplicationRegistry::CreateApplicationFaster(const std::string& name)
 #endif
 
   const char* otbAppPath = itksys::SystemTools::GetEnv("OTB_APPLICATION_PATH");
-
-  std::vector<itksys::String> pathList = itksys::SystemTools::SplitString(otbAppPath,pathSeparator,false);
+  std::vector<itksys::String> pathList;
+  if (otbAppPath)
+    {
+    pathList = itksys::SystemTools::SplitString(otbAppPath,pathSeparator,false);
+    }
   for (unsigned int i=0 ; i<pathList.size() ; ++i)
     {
     std::string possiblePath = pathList[i];
@@ -205,7 +208,11 @@ ApplicationRegistry::GetAvailableApplications(bool useFactory)
 #endif
 
   const char* otbAppPath = itksys::SystemTools::GetEnv("OTB_APPLICATION_PATH");
-  std::vector<itksys::String> pathList = itksys::SystemTools::SplitString(otbAppPath,pathSeparator,false);
+  std::vector<itksys::String> pathList;
+  if (otbAppPath)
+    {
+    pathList = itksys::SystemTools::SplitString(otbAppPath,pathSeparator,false);
+    }
   for (unsigned int k=0 ; k<pathList.size() ; ++k)
     {
     itk::Directory::Pointer dir = itk::Directory::New();